My Fiery Princess
by a girl who likes hockey
Summary: Merida is told by her parents that she needs to marry one of the clansmen, as she hides the feelings she has for Kylo. She devises a plan to avoid marriage, not realizing another suitor is determined to make her his. Secrets are revealed that will affect Merida's destiny. It helps to have read "My Destiny" for backstory.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is dedicated to my brother, who passed away on March 31, 2019. Merida was his favorite Disney princess, and he was the one who took me to my first Star Wars movie. Love you, bro.**

Merida aimed her arrow at the target ahead. She released her bow, and the arrow flew until it hit the center of the bulls-eye.

"Let's see what you can do, Magic Boy!" she teased Kylo, as he prepared to aim his arrow.

"Your overconfidence will be your downfall, my fiery princess," the former Knight of Ren jokingly warned Merida.

"And your faith in yourself will be yours."

"We'll see." Kylo gave her a wink, before pulling his bow back. Merida decided to distract him by touching his arm. He released the bow. Merida watched in amazement as his arrow split hers in half.

"Not fair!" she pouted, folding her arms in front of her. "I fired my arrow perfectly!"

"Yes, but even a weapon like this is insignificant to the power of the Force," he explained. Tossing the bow to the ground, Kylo grabbed Merida and pulled her close.

"Now it's time to take what I want," he softly growled before his lips met hers.

"Merida," Kylo whispered, full of desire for the red haired beauty.

"Merida," he muttered, as his eyes fluttered open. He sighed. It was only a dream. He cradled her cloak close to his body. He hoped that Merida would return with her sewing kit. If he had any chance of becoming King, he needed Merida, and also clothes to wear.

"I have to convince her to not run away," Kylo thought to himself, as he saw her bow and arrows. "She is insistent on not getting married. But she cannot be Queen otherwise."

He reached out for his lightsaber and turned it on. His weapon terrified Merida. Kylo had a thought. If the lightsaber scared her, then it would scare her family and any potential suitors.

"Her greatest weakness is family," Kylo told himself, as he walked around in the cave. "If she thinks I will harm them, then she will have no choice but to marry me. Then we will reign as King and Queen. She will be angry, but in time, she will see that her destiny lies with me."

Merida made her way back to the castle. She found her horse and scolded it for running away. She led it back to the stables. She quietly snuck past her sleeping family members and headed to her bathroom.

"Whew!" she gasped in relief. She undressed and slipped on her nightgown. She spied her sewing kit and sighed. She had to go back to the cave, but not now. She needed to figure out a time when she could slip away without her family knowing.

"My cloak!" Merida suddenly remembered. Kylo had it. How was she going to explain why it was missing? Then she had an idea.

"In the morning, I will visit the boys," she said to herself, as her head laid down on the pillow. A moment later, she was asleep.

"No!" Merida wept bitterly, as she addressed her parents. "I don't want to get married!"

"Merida, please calm down!" Queen Elinor begged her.

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"Don't yell at your mother, young lassie!" King Fergus scolded her. "You need to get married!"

"No, I don't! I won't marry one of the clansmen!" Merida strongly insisted.

"She is right," they heard a male voice tell them. They turned around to see a man with a sword of red light approach them.

"She will not marry them. She will marry me!" the man added, the weapon now pointing in their direction.

"No!" Merida shouted. She stepped in front of her parents.

"Don't hurt us!" she desperately pleaded with Kylo. He turned off his lightsaber and replied,

"I won't, if you agree to marry me."

"Why are you doing this? Do you hate me this much?"

"I don't hate you, Merida. But I knew if I asked for your hand in marriage, you would have said no. Because you are afraid."

"I'm afraid? I'm not the one trying to blackmail an innocent woman into marriage because they are afraid of being alone!"

Kylo drew closer to her. Merida grabbed her bow and arrow, and pointed it in his direction.

"You wouldn't!" he scoffed.

"Oh, I would!" Merida hissed. To her horror, the bow and arrow flew out of her hand. As Kylo came closer, Merida screamed,

"No!"

"No!" she yelled, as she sat up in her bed. It was only a nightmare. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.

"It was a bad dream, that's all," Merida encouraged herself, as she rose from the bed. Other than the nightmare she had, she slept well.

She called for a servant to draw a bath for her. She needed to see when she could go back to the cave, to mend Kylo's torn clothes. Then she was going to run away from home.

Merida sat in the basin, and began to bathe herself. Normally, she did not take a bath two days in a row. But today, she felt compelled to do so.

"It's because of him," she realized, as she thought about Kylo. The short time she spent with him awakened something inside of her.

"I want him," Merida whispered. "But I can't... I won't..."

She was afraid to get married. If she got married, she would be one step closer to becoming Queen. If she became Queen, that would mean her parents would not be alive. She frowned at this thought.

"I can't give in to this attraction I feel for him," Merida insisted, as she finished bathing. She put on a light teal dress and exited her bedroom.

"Wake up, you wee devils!" she teasingly scolded her sleeping brothers, Harris, Hubert and Hamish. It took a moment for the triplets to open their eyes.

"Merida!" they cried at the same time, as they rushed to hug her.

"Easy there, boys!"

"We want some sweets!"

"I will get you some sweets, but you need to do me a favor."

"What is the favor?" Harris asked.

"I need you to tell Mother and Father that you lost my cloak, if they ask."

"But we didn't!" Hubert insisted. "For once, we didn't do it!"

"I know, Hubert. I lost it."

"How did you lose it?" Hamish asked.

"You do not need to know that. I just need you to take the blame. If you do, I will give you sweets for an entire week," Merida promised.

The boys looked at each other and replied in unison,

"Okay!"

"Very good. Now it is time for your baths." All three frowned.

"I can always call Mother and she can bathe you," their sister reminded them. The boys did not want that. Merida chuckled as they began to take off their pajamas. A servant helped her draw baths for the boys.

"I am going to miss you troublemakers," she said to herself, as her brothers bathed. She reminisced on their short lives. Merida was so lost in thought that she did not realize Hamish was touching her face.

"Merida, why are you crying?" he innocently asked. She smiled at the boy and replied softly,

"I guess I am a little tired. Now finish your bath."

Merida hated lying, but she could not tell him, or anyone else, the truth.


	2. Chapter 2

Merida helped her brothers get dressed. They heard a knock on the door. Hubert went and opened it.

"Good morning!" Queen Elinor greeted her children. "You are bathed and dressed already?"

"Merida woke us up and bathed us," Hubert replied, before joining his brothers.

"She did. Good morning, Merida."

"Good morning, Mother," Merida replied, praying that she would not bring up the subject of marriage.

"You have done well, my sweet daughter. One of the lessons to be learned as a future Queen is how to care for any children she may have..."

"Mother, please! Not now!" Merida was grateful when she heard her father shout,

"Breakfast is ready!"

The boys ran quickly out of their room, stepping on Fergus' foot.

"Ouch!" he yelled after they ran off. Merida chuckled.

"Father, are you all right?" she asked as she approached him.

"Yes. Along with every other morning they step on my foot," Fergus replied with a smile.

"Merida got the boys ready today," Elinor told her husband.

"Did she? Well, my little lassie is growing up. Go Merida, before the boys eat all of the food!"

"Yes, Father," Merida responded. She went to go pass him, but he let out a grunt. With a grin on her face, she kissed his cheek before leaving.

Fergus entered the room and closed the door behind him. He turned to face Elinor.

"Merida is..." he started to say. Elinor had her back to him. He knew immediately what she was doing.

"Don't cry, my love," Fergus softly whispered, as he embraced her from behind.

"I can't help it, Fergus!" she moaned sorrowfully. "She still doesn't want to get married! Can't you talk to her and convince her to do this?"

"Elinor, I think it is time that Merida knows the truth."

"No!" Elinor turned to face her husband. "She is having a hard time accepting her destiny as Queen. I can't tell her that we..."

She buried her face in her hands and wept. Fergus pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Merida will have so much responsibility. Being a Queen, looking after her brothers... I just want someone to be there for her when we are gone!" Elinor stated through her sobs.

"I know. She will be so sad when we are not around. That is why I agreed to have her get married now. Only because of our situation," Fergus responded.

"I know, Fergus. You and Merida have a special bond."

"Hey. She loves you, Elinor. She just sees things differently."

He wiped the tears from her face and added,

"The suitors will arrive, and Merida will meet her future husband."

Elinor had a small smile on her face after Fergus said this.

"Come, let us go and enjoy our children," he offered, taking his wife's hand and leading her to the dining hall.

Kylo travelled to a secluded pond not too far from the cave. He knelt down to gaze at his reflection in the water.

"Amazing!" he gasped. "I have not aged since my transformation. I look the same as I did back on Starkiller Base..."

Kylo bowed his head. That monstrosity killed billions. Even though he killed people, including his own father, he never liked the super weapon. The Force gave him power to conquer the galaxy, power to take revenge on his uncle. But the one thing it could not do is take away his conflict over his father's murder.

It had to be done. Otherwise, Snoke would have called him a failure, possibly even kill Kylo. So he struck Han Solo with his lightsaber. He thought his father would hate him. Instead, he lovingly traced his son's cheek, before tumbling to his death.

"What have I done?" Kylo thought at that time, horrified by his actions. He was suddenly struck by Chewbacca's bowcaster, and fell over the edge. The next thing he knew, he was in the forest, transformed into a bear.

"Why did this happen?" Kylo cried out to the Force. "Why was I spared? I should have died! No one would have missed me!"

His thoughts turned to Merida. If he had died, he never would have met the fiery princess. He would not have a second chance to rule over a kingdom. Granted, Scotland was smaller in comparison to the galaxy. But the people were fiercely loyal to their king. Kylo knew that they would also be loyal to him and to Merida.

"I have to forget the past, to become who I was meant to be," he vowed as he rose to his feet. "Soon, I will be King, and Merida will be my Queen. We will reign together, and no one will stand in our way!"

Kylo closed his eyes. He imagined his wedding night with Merida. She looked gorgeous in the white silk nightgown she was wearing. But she was terrified of him.

"Merida, don't be afraid," he assured her, as he climbed into bed. "I will never scare you like that again." His lips met hers in a soft kiss. She tensed up. He held and kissed her until she relaxed in his arms.

"If you do, I will kill you," she warned him, as his mouth found her bare shoulder. She closed her eyes, enjoying his kisses and caresses.

"I have been warned," Kylo said with a wink, before taking off her nightgown. He paused a moment to gaze at his naked bride.

"So beautiful," Kylo groaned as he removed his clothing. "And so mine."

His mouth crashed hers, as he wrapped his arms around her. Kylo entered his virgin bride. Merida winced in pain. He spoke comforting words in her ear as he began to move in her. It did not take long for the beauty to cry out in pleasure. He spilled his seed inside of her. Kylo knew at that moment he would never let her go.

He opened his eyes. It was only a vision. Kylo sighed. If it would only that easy to convince Merida to marry him. But there was a trait that they shared in common. They were both stubborn.

"I will make her mine," Kylo promised, before walking away.

Merida ate her breakfast in silence. She knew what was coming when her father instructed a servant to take the boys away.

"Merida, your suitors..." Fergus nervously began.

"No!" Merida hissed angrily.

"Merida, stop!" Elinor yelled at her.

"No! I will not marry any of them!" She rose from her chair and ran away.

"That did not go well," Elinor stated bitterly.

"Give her time, my love," Fergus urged his wife.

"Time is a luxury we do not have, Fergus! Merida needs to be married before we..." She bit her lip. He came over and hugged her.

"I will talk with her and convince her to do this," Fergus vowed. The couple kissed before leaving the dining hall.

"I won't do this!" Merida yelled, as she grabbed her sewing kit. It was time to head back to the cave. But she needed to make sure her parents wouldn't follow her.

She found her brothers and asked them for their help. They agreed, for another week's worth of sweets.

"You can have all of the sweets," Merida thought to herself as she mounted her horse. "Because I am leaving after mending Kylo's clothes. I will miss you, and Mother and Father. But I can't be who they want me to be!" She would have a couple of hours to reach the cave, sew Kylo's clothes and leave, before her parents figured out she wasn't playing hide and seek with the boys.

"Faster!" Merida commanded the steed. The sooner she finished, the sooner her new life of freedom would start.

Kylo was meditating when his eyes popped up. He grinned. He sensed Merida's presence drawing close. He grabbed the cloak to cover himself, and waited patiently outside the cave entrance.

"It is time for us to walk into our destiny," Kylo thought to himself, as he saw Merida dismount from her horse.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're back!" Kylo teased Merida, as she tied her horse to a tree.

"Only until I mend your clothes. Then I am leaving," Merida replied, as she carried the sewing kit in her arms.

They walked inside the cave. Kylo watched as Merida started sewing. He knew she was upset, but decided to wait until after she was done to talk to her.

"Here are your clothes," Merida said to Kylo. "Now if you will excuse me..."

"Merida, wait!" Kylo insisted, as he blocked her path. "What is wrong?"

She bit her lip. She could not hide her turmoil. Merida gazed up at Kylo and told him,

"I can't stay here. The suitors are coming tomorrow. I overheard the servants say that they will compete to see who will win my hand in marriage."

She turned her back on Kylo and bitterly added,

"Like I'm a prize to be obtained, and not a human being to love!"

"I see... Wait, servants?" Kylo uttered, pretending to be confused. Merida turned to face him and admitted,

"I am a princess, Kylo." She noticed he smiled when she said this.

"My fiery princess, you cannot run away from your problem. You need to face it and find a solution."

"I can't! I am only sixteen. I'm not ready to get married or be a queen!"

"That is not true," Kylo insisted, as he drew closer to Merida. She tried to take a step back, but he froze her in place.

"Let me go!" she pleaded with him. He stood inches from her.

"I can't. You're afraid, Merida. You do not want to get married or become queen because of what it represent to you."

"And what is that?"

"The loss of your parents. Being queen means that they will be gone, and the thought of that breaks your heart."

Merida closed her eyes. Kylo was right. As much as she was upset with her parents, the thought of them not being around terrified her.

"You also think it is not fair that your father got to choose his queen, yet you do not get to choose your king," he added.

"It is not fair!" Merida yelled. "I'm good enough to be queen, but not good enough to choose my king? It doesn't make any sense!"

"I agree with you. Show your parents that you are old enough to make the decision yourself." To himself, Kylo added,

"You can choose to marry me."

He stared intensely at Merida. How he wanted her! But that would have to wait until after they were married.

Kylo unfroze her and said,

"I guess I should get dressed."

"I will step outside, to give you privacy," Merida responded. She blushed when Kylo stated,

"If that is what you want."

She was tempted to take a peek at him getting dressed, but Merida thought better of it. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

"You can come in now," Kylo called out to her. Merida went back inside. Kylo's clothes were black, with lines of ribbing on his arms. She shivered nervously.

"What is wrong?" he asked, sensing her fear.

"Kylo, were you an executioner?" Merida questioned him.

"Yes," he honestly replied, knowing her thought. She wanted to know if he killed people as his "occupation".

"Where is your mask?"

"My last kill was personal. So I took off the mask before the execution."

"Did you kill your uncle?" Merida's eyes widened when Kylo said,

"No. I killed my father."

She tried to run away, but once again, Kylo froze her in place. The tears fell down her face.

"I had no choice, Merida. My master commanded me to kill him. Otherwise, I would have faced his wrath."

"There is always a choice!" she snapped. "Now let me go!"

"I can't, my fiery princess."

"Let me go, Magic Boy! Otherwise, I will..." Kylo raised his hand to silence her.

"Ssh," he commanded her. He unfroze her, and reached for his lightsaber. He crept slowly to the mouth of the cave. Kylo turned on his weapon. He sensed a presence nearby. No, there were three presences...

He extended his hand, and three little figures flew past him. Kylo turned around, ready to attack.

"Kylo, no!" Merida screamed, as Harris, Hubert and Hamish scrambled to her side. "They are my brothers!"

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Kylo turned off the lightsaber. His future queen had three little brothers, all the same age! He tilted his head and said as he pointed,

"This is Harris and this is Hubert. And..." He picked up the bottom of Merida's dress and added,

"This is Hamish."

The little boy trembled in fear. His two brothers joined him. Merida laid her hand on Hamish's head and assured him,

"It is okay, Hamish. He won't hurt you. He was trying to protect me."

The boy rose to his feet, still unsure about Kylo.

"Hello," Kylo greeted them, as he knelt on one knee. "My name is Kylo Ren. Would you like to see my lightsaber?"

"Yes!" all three boys shouted.

"Move back, so that you won't get hurt."

They obeyed, and he turned on his weapon. Their little blue eyes widened at the sight of it.

Merida was concerned when Hamish stepped closer to the weapon.

"Be careful," she warned him.

"He's fine," Kylo promised her. Hamish touched the hilt. He looked up at Kylo and asked,

"Is it broken?"

"My kyber crystal is cracked. That is why I have the vents, so that it won't break," Kylo explained.

"What an interesting question to ask!" he thought to himself. Kylo turned off his weapon and stood to his feet.

"Merida, we need to go home. Visitors are here!" Harris told his older sister.

"Oh no!" Merida moaned. The suitors arrived early!

"Don't be afraid," Kylo encouraged her. "Take your brothers home. You will think of a solution."

"I need my bow and arrows back," she reminded him.

"I need them, to trade for a pair of boots," he quickly lied. Merida huffed in annoyance before sighing.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked, doing her best not to cry.

"What does your heart tell you?"

Their eyes locked, and Merida replied,

"We will see each other again."

"Then we will. Take care of your sister, boys," Kylo instructed the triplets before heading inside the cave.

"Let's go home, boys," Merida told them, not wanting to leave. She wanted to stay with Kylo. But now her brothers knew about him. If they told her parents...

"Let's go!" Hubert demanded, pulling on Merida's dress.

"Okay, we're going!" she snapped. They hopped on Merida's horse and rode back to the castle. Kylo waited until they were out of sight to emerge from the cave.

"Those boys are troublemakers. I like them!" he uttered, as he held Merida's bow and arrows. "Especially the youngest one. There is something special about him. But I will have to find out what it is another time. Now I need to get myself some boots, via a mind trick, and see who is my competition for Merida's hand."


	4. Chapter 4

Thankfully, Merida knew a shortcut to the oceanside. They made it in time to see the final ship dock. The ships carried Lord MacGuffin, Lord Dingwall and Lord MacIntosh, along with their first born sons. As soon as the men disembarked, they greeted the royal family.

"I have to marry one of them?" Merida complained to herself, as everyone made their way back to the castle. "I'd rather marry myself!"

A grin came upon her face. She was the firstborn of her clan. She could enter the competition to win her own hand in marriage!

"I will declare myself as a contestant before the game starts tomorrow," Merida told herself. "And I know exactly which game we will be playing."

What she did not know was that Kylo was spying on her from a distance, He read her thoughts and was impressed.

"My fiery princess knows what she wants, and is willing to fight for it," Kylo said as he emerged from his hiding spot. "But she will see that I will fight harder for what I want. By this time tomorrow, Merida will be mine!"

Merida was forced to spend time with the Dingwalls, MacGuffins and Macintoshes. She hated every minute of it. She wondered where Kylo was. Did he leave Scotland? Her heart wanted to believe he didn't.

"I guess I was wrong about him. I thought he liked me, and would have..." Merida pondered, as she crawled into bed that night. "Oh well. It does not matter anymore. Tomorrow I will compete and win my own hand in marriage." She fell asleep, with a small smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Kylo arrived at the castle. He sensed danger for Merida and her family. No harm could befall his future queen, so he quietly snuck inside.

The first floor he walked along was the floor that the chieftains and their sons were on. As they slept, Kylo used the Force to read what was in their minds. What he saw in the elders minds infuriated him. They were conspiring against Merida and her family! Whichever son won Merida's hand in marriage was going to take her away, while her family members would be killed.

"You will not harm them!" Kylo hissed to himself. He thought about slaughtering the men, but thought better of it. If he did that, then there was no way Merida would marry him. Calming himself down, he continued to walk.

He reached a large bedroom, which Kylo realized was where the king and queen slept. They were still awake, so he listened in on their conversation.

"I can't believe by this time tomorrow, my lassie will be married," Fergus said to Elinor.

"I know. At least we will be able to see her get married," Elinor replied, before she started weeping.

"Please don't cry, my love. I hate to see you in pain."

"I can't help it, Fergus! I know Merida does not want to get married. But if we die before she does, she will alone!"

"What?" Kylo gasped silently.

"She won't be alone. She will have her husband, and she will have the boys," Fergus reassured his wife.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way!" Elinor moaned, as Fergus tightly embraced her. "Why did I have to get cancer?"

"Why did my infection spread?"

"This is so unfair!"

"I know. But our Merida is strong. Even if she does not get married..."

"She must! I fear what the other clans will do if she doesn't."

"They will not harm her."

"That is not true!" Kylo growled softly.

"By this time next year, we will both be dead. All I want is for my children to be safe and happy!" Elinor sniffled through her tears.

"They will be, Elinor. I promise you," Fergus vowed.

Kylo took a deep breath. Now it made sense! He wondered why Merida's parents wanted her to get married as such a young age. They were both dying, and wanted someone to take care of her and the boys after their deaths.

He arrived at the triplets bedroom. He peeked inside, and saw they were sleeping. Kylo sighed. No matter how much trouble they caused, they did not deserve to lose their parents at such a young age.

His heart began to beat rapidly as he approached Merida's bedroom. He slipped inside and approached her bed. She was in a deep sleep.

"I know you will hate me for what I am going to do," Kylo softly whispered. "But I can't leave you here to deal with these evil men by yourself, or to watch your parents die. So you will be mine, Merida. We will be king and queen, and I promise you that no harm will come to you as long as I live."

He placed a kiss on her forehead before slipping out of the room. He should not care what Merida thought about him, but he did. Kylo came to a realization.

"I have compassion for her," he admitted, before leaving. His conflict over Merida was so great, he was not able to sense a little red haired boy that followed him, that heard every word Kylo spoke to his sister.

Early the next day, Merida was awakened by her mother.

"Five more minutes!" the princess complained.

"No, Merida. It is time to get ready," Elinor insisted, throwing the blanket off of her daughter. "You need to look presentable for the game."

"I always look presentable!"

"Don't argue with me. Go take a bath. I will have a servant bring your dress in."

Merida gave Elinor a nasty look, before rising from the bed. As she bathed, she felt apprehensive. If she did not win the archery game, she would have to get married today to one of the clansmen. This thought scared her.

"I don't want any of them! I want..." she began to say, but stopped.

"It's too late, Merida. He is probably halfway to England," she sadly sighed. "I have to win today, at all costs!"

When she finished, she saw that her dress was ready. Along with a white headpiece that she could not stand.

"Do I have to wear this?" Merida complained when she sat down with her parents for breakfast.

"Yes," her mother sternly told her. "Later on tonight, when you and your husband..."

"Elinor, please! I don't want to lose my appetite!" Fergus groaned, not wanting to think about what his daughter and future son-in-law would be doing.

"Sorry, Fergus. After the game is over, we will go back to your room to talk."

"Great," Merida grunted. Her mother was going to have "the wedding night" talk with her. She noticed that her brothers were not at the table.

"Where are the boys?" she asked curiously.

"They will be confined to their room for the day. I do not want them to interfere," Elinor explained.

"What your mother means is that she does not want them to set your suitors on fire," Fergus quipped, giving his daughter a wink.

"Fergus, shame on you!"

"At least they will be useful, if they were on fire!" Merida giggled in amusement.

"That is not funny!"

Kylo entered the triplets room, and called out their names. When they stirred, they were surprised to see him. He put a finger on his mouth, indicating for them to be quiet.

"I need you to come with me," he whispered, as the boys got dressed.

"Why? Are you taking us to the game?" Harris asked.

"Yes. But I will need to hide you."

"Why do we need to hide?" Hubert innocently questioned. Before Kylo could respond, Hamish said,

"Because they will hurt us if we stay here."

Kylo looked at Hamish in disbelief. How did the boy know he and his brothers were in danger?

"Let's go, boys," Kylo instructed, still in shock by Hamish's admission.

After breakfast, Merida and her parents joined the other clans on the Highland. The archery competition to determine who would be Merida's husband was about to start.

"Wait! We have one more person that wants to compete!" Merida insisted, as her spare set of bow and arrows were hidden behind her back.

"I don't see anyone else," Fergus stated in confusion.

"The rules state that each firstborn of the clans can compete in the game. As firstborn of my clan, I am going to compete for my own hand!"

Merida removed her hideous headpiece and pulled out her weapon. Everyone was shocked by her words. Elinor was furious and tried to approach her daughter. Fergus held her back.

"You are not too old for a spanking, young lady!" Elinor snapped. Her eyes widened in horror as Merida took her bow and arrow and aimed it in her mother's direction.

"Don't even try it!" Merida gruffly warned her mother.

"They are crazy!" Lord MacGuffin thought to himself. "It is a good thing we are going to kill them!"

"Fergus, you cannot allow this!" Elinor begged for his intervention. His eyes met Merida's.

"I will permit it," he softly uttered.

"Fergus, are you crazy?"

"Elinor, the man that can best my daughter in archery deserves her hand in marriage."

"Thank you, Father," Merida grinned, as she lowered her bow. Ignoring the cold stare her mother was giving her, she turned to her potential suitors and asked,

"Are you ready to compete?" They could only nod their heads in silence. Suddenly, Merida's bow and arrows were grabbed by Elinor.

"Give them back to me!" Merida screamed furiously.

"You can't compete if you don't have them," Elinor stated smugly. She was about to toss the weapon into the fire when she heard a strange male voice shout,

"Don't!"


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone turned to see a strange man in black approach them. Well, he was a stranger to all but one person.

"What are you doing here?" Merida asked Kylo, shocked by his presence. He extended his hand, and the bow and arrow flew out of Elinor's hand and into his.

"Here, this is yours," he told her, handing her back her weapon. "I am here for the same reason you are." Merida's eyes bulged as Kylo addressed Fergus.

"King Fergus, I would like to enter the contest of winning your daughter's hand in marriage," he explained.

"And you are?" Fergus wondered.

"I am Kylo Ren, the only child of Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan."

"I never heard of Princess Organa..."

"Yes, you have. She belongs to the Elder Houses," Kylo stated calmly, as he waved his hand.

"Oh, yes. Princess Organa of the Elder Houses. Now I remember."

"Fergus!" Elinor exclaimed nervously. Merida approached Kylo.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. He saw the anger in her eyes.

"Trying to save you and your family," he whispered softly. He faced Elinor and waved his hand.

"You will tell your husband to allow me to compete in the game," he confidently mentioned.

Elinor turned to her husband and said,

"We should allow Prince Kylo to compete in the game."

"No!" Merida screamed. To Kylo, she barked,

"Do you hate me, Kylo? Is this why you are doing this?"

"No, my fiery princess," he answered her.

"I am not your fiery princess!"

"Gentleman," Lord Dingwall said to Lord MacGuffin and MacIntosh. "The king and queen are distracted. We can strike them down now, and seize Princess Merida for ourselves!"

"What about the man in black? He uses magic!" Lord MacIntosh worried.

"We will kill him, too. The princes should be dead by now. Let's go!"

Lord Dingwall slowly crept until he was behind Elinor. She was distracted, pleading with Merida to calm down. Dingwall pulled out a knife, and raised it to strike the queen. But Kylo focused, and froze Dingwall's hand, so that he could not deliver the killing blow.

Fergus turned around and saw Dingwall with the knife in his hand. He pushed Elinor to safety and attacked the man.

"How dare you!" the king screamed, as he wrestled with his wife's would be assailant. Young Dingwall went to help his father, but Merida shot her arrow in his direction.

"Don't!" she snarled at him.

Kylo pulled out his lightsaber and turned it on. Everyone was terrified of the weapon. He pointed it and declared,

"The sons are innocent. But their fathers, they are guilty of conspiring to murder the royal family!"

"That is a bold face lie!" Lord MacGuffin denied. He turned to Elinor and pleaded,

"My queen, we have known each for years. Would you believe this madman over us?"

Elinor was about to reply when she felt a tug on her dress. She looked down and saw Hamish.

"He's a bad man!" Hamish shouted, pointing his finger at MacGuffin.

"Bad man!" Harris and Hubert shouted, as they ran towards the elders with torches in their hands.

"Retreat!" Lord MacIntosh cried fearfully. He, along with Lord MacGuffin and their sons, ran away from the boys.

"Mother, they wanted to kill us!" Hamish blurted, tears brimming in his eyes. Elinor tightly embraced her youngest.

Fergus placed Lord Dingwall in a headlock. Kylo had the rest of the clansmen dangling a few feet off of the ground. Harris and Hubert were jumping, trying to set the men on fire.

"I order the immediate execution of the Dingwall, MacGuffin and MacIntosh clans!" Fergus snapped angrily.

"Father, no!" Merida pleaded. "Kylo said the sons are innocent. You cannot make them pay for their fathers' sin!"

"She's right, Fergus," Elinor interjected. Fergus narrowed his eyes. He wanted them to be punished for trying to destroy his family.

"Merida, make sure Lord Dingwall behaves himself," the king instructed his daughter, before tossing Dingwall to the ground.

"Don't even think about it!" Merida warned, as she aimed her weapon at him.

"I declare that Young Dingwall, MacIntosh and MacGuffin are no longer eligible to compete for my daughter's hand in marriage," Fergus began. "The clans are to return to their homes, with the fathers relinquishing their royal titles to their sons. If I hear this has not been done, or if I see the elders in my land, I will declare war!"

Between the furious look on King Fergus' face and the dangerous sword Kylo held in his hand, the men had no choice but to agree. Kylo dropped them to the ground. Harris and Hubert went to set them on fire, but Kylo waved his hand and extinguished the torches.

"Hey!" the boys complained.

"If they come back, then you can set them on fire," Kylo promised, giving them a wink.

The royal guards escorted the clansmen back to their ships. Merida breathed a sigh of relief. She ran over to her brothers and hugged them.

"I am so glad that is over with!" she gasped joyfully. The hairs on her arms stood when Kylo said,

"We're not done yet."

Fergus and Elinor glanced at each other. Kylo turned off his lightsaber, faced Merida and added,

"The competition still needs to happen."

"No, it does not!" Merida growled. "I am the only contestant left. Therefore, I win by default!"

"Merida," Fergus uttered softly, as he approached his eldest. She looked at him and begged,

"No! Please do not allow him to compete!"

"Lassie, I must..."

"No!"

"It is only fair. He saved our lives!"

"No!"

"Merida, calm down!" Elinor told her.

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"Don't yell at your mother, young lady!" Fergus scolded his daughter. "You need to do this!"

"No, I don't!"

Merida quickly prepared to aim her arrow at Kylo. But before she could fire, he called the weapon out of his hand.

"No!" she moaned bitterly. Her nightmare was coming true! She faced Elinor, who now stood by Fergus' side, and complained,

"I can't beat him if he uses his magic. It would be unfair!"

"Fergus, she does make a good point," Elinor admitted.

"Hmm," Fergus uttered. He had an idea of how to resolve this conflict. He called for Kylo and the boys to join him, Elinor and Merida.

"Kylo, my daughter is concerned that you will use your magic to an unfair advantage," Fergus explained. "Therefore, I am going to call for a vote, whether you and Merida should be wed, or if Merida should be free from the marriage obligation."

"Fergus, no!" Elinor interjected her disapproval.

"Elinor, it is not your decision. Kylo, Merida, do you agree to abide by the results of the vote?"

"I agree," both Merida and Kylo vowed, confident that they were going to win.

"Ok. Merida, you go first."

"I vote to be free from the marriage obligation," she stated, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Kylo?"

"I vote to be wed to Merida," he softly replied, his eyes focused on Merida.

"My love, it is your turn."

"I vote for Kylo and Merida to be wed," Elinor said.

"Of course you would!" Merida snarled. She was surprised when her father nodded his head in agreement.

"Father!" she moaned in disbelief.

"Merida, the man that is willing to defend my family is worthy to join my family," Fergus argued. He turned to his sons and said,

"It is up to you, boys."

Merida smiled. She had a close relationship with her brothers. Surely, they would side with her!

Harris and Hubert joined Merida, saying that she should not have to get married.

"Ok, Hamish. It is your decision," the king told his youngest son.

Hamish closed his eyes. Tears streaked down his face. Whatever decision he made, someone was not going to be happy. But he had to do what he felt in his heart was right.

He opened his eyes, gazed up at Merida, and cried with sadness in his voice,

"I'm sorry, Merida!"

She dropped her mouth in shock as the little boy added,

"I vote for Merida and Kylo to be wed."


	6. Chapter 6

"It is settled then. Kylo and Merida will be married," Fergus gasped, shocked by the results of the vote.

"No! You can't make me do this!" Merida screamed, before turning and running away.

"Merida!" Elinor shouted, as she chased after her daughter.

Kylo faced Fergus and said,

"I am sorry it came to this. But I knew she would have said no if I had asked her myself."

"Kylo, you saved my family. You do not need to apologize," Fergus insisted. He leaned in and whispered,

"Better you that those pathetic boys!"

Kylo nodded in agreement. It happened. He and Merida were going to be king and queen of Scotland, He was pleased with the results, but was unhappy that Merida was upset.

"Your Majesty..."

"Kylo, please. We are family. Call me Fergus."

"Fergus, you need to tell Merida the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes. The truth about you and the queen. She needs to know, and I should not be the one to tell her."

"You know?" Fergus managed to say, his face pale. Kylo shook his head in the affirmative. The young man knew about him and Elinor dying!

Meanwhile, Merida has stormed up the stairs and locked herself in her bedroom. She thought about running away, but it would be pointless. Her family would search for her until they found her. Or if they didn't, then the crown would be passed to Kylo until her brothers were of age to rule.

"I should have agreed to the contest!" she thought bitterly to herself, as she laid down on her bed. This would be the last time she would be in this room. After she was married, she and Kylo would sleep in a master bedroom.

"I thought he understood me. I thought he cared!" Merida moaned before weeping.

"I do care," Kylo said to himself, knowing her thought. He was walking with Fergus and the boys back to the castle. He saw Hamish walk alongside him. He smiled at the boy and told him,

"We need to talk, little one. But not now."

Hamish could only nod his head, hoping that no one could tell how sad he was.

Later, Merida was awakened by a knock on her door. She opened her eyes and snapped,

"Go away!"

"Merida, let us in," Elinor pleaded.

"No! I want to enjoy my last minutes of freedom by myself!"

"Lassie, please open the door. There is something we need to discuss with you," Fergus urged her.

"If it is about Kylo..."

"It is not. Merida, please."

Reluctantly, she rose from the bed and opened the door. The king and queen stepped inside.

"Come sit with us," Fergus softly pleaded. Merida's heart raced. There were only two times in her life that she sat down with both parents to talk. The first time was when she found out she was going to be a big sister. The other time was when they told her she needed to get married.

She sat in the middle of them. Elinor found her daughter's hand. This was going to be the hardest conversation they would have with their eldest.

"Merida," the queen began, gazing at her daughter. "It is time to tell you why your father and I want you to get married."

"You already told me, It is tradition for the oldest to be married in order to reign," Merida stated bitterly.

"Yes, but we did not tell you one part."

"What didn't you tell me?"

"Merida," Fergus interjected, as his hand found her shoulder. "The tradition is that when the oldest child becomes of age, they are to be married and ascend the throne."

"Okay." Merida was confused, so her father added,

"For generations, the kings and queens have married at eighteen."

"But that doesn't make sense. I am only sixteen. Why am I getting married now?"

"Merida... we won't be around when you are eighteen!" Elinor blurted out, before bawling.

"Mother?" Merida worried, never seeing her mother this upset before.

"Merida, we are both dying," Fergus finally admitted.

"No!" Merida denied. "It's not true! It's impossible!"

"It is true. Your father's infection has spread, and I have cancer," Elinor explained through her tears.

"But we can see a doctor, for both of you."

"We have seen many doctors. There is nothing that can be done for us," Fergus insisted, hating to see his daughter in pain.

Merida closed her eyes. This couldn't be happening! How could she live without her parents?

"Merida, you don't need to be brave right now," Elinor assured her.

"No!" the princess gasped, before she broke down and wept. Both parents held her.

"I'm sorry!" Fergus sweetly said, as he wiped away Merida's tears. "We would not have insisted on you getting married so young, but..."

"I understand," Merida replied. "How long..."

"A year for both of us," Elinor stated, gently caressing her daughter's hair.

"Do the boys know?"

"Not yet. We thought you could be there, when we tell them. They adore you, and I think it would help them if you are there to break the news. But only if you want to."

"I don't know if I can rule this kingdom without you!"

"You won't be alone, Merida," Fergus promised. "Kylo will be there, right by your side."

"No, he won't. He probably hates me!"

"He does not hate you," Elinor told her.

"Then why did he do this? He knew I didn't want to get married. I thought he understood me. He just wants power!"

"Normally, I would agree with you," Fergus uttered, as he took his daughter's other hand. "But that is not the reason why he did what he did."

"Merida, Kylo wants something that you have," Elinor added.

"What is that?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"Family. He told us about his father and his uncle, and about what happened to him."

"Is he okay?" Merida panicked, concerned that her father would be angry at Kylo for biting his leg when he was Mor'du.

"He is fine, Merida," Fergus vowed. "If Kylo just wanted the throne, he would have not saved the boys."

"I don't understand..."

"He was the one to sneak the boys out of their room. They were supposed to be killed first, then your mother and I. He could have harmed them, and let Dingwall, MacIntosh and MacGuffin take the blame."

"I can't tell you to not be angry with him," Elinor said. "But please, for your father and I, try not to kill him."

"I don't know if I can promise you that. He hurt me by doing this!"

"Merida, Kylo knows that you care about him."

Her eyes widened. He knew she wanted him!

"I can't stay!" Merida cried nervously. Fergus squeezed her hand and insisted,

"Don't run. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"I do! I have feelings for him. But he doesn't feel the same way!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Fergus went to open it. Merida swallowed her throat and trembled, as she looked and saw Kylo standing in the doorway.


	7. Chapter 7

"May I speak with your daughter?" Kylo asked.

"Not alone in her bedroom," Fergus grunted. Elinor cleared her throat as she rose to her feet.

"Fergus, come. They need privacy," she told her husband. He saw the stern look in her eyes.

"Behave yourself!" he warned Kylo, before Elinor dragged him out of the room. Merida was mortified by her father's behavior.

"I am sorry about my father," she apologized to Kylo, as he sat next to her on the bed. "He is a wee bit overprotective."

"I understand," Kylo replied, gazing at his soon to be bride. With a serious look on his face, he asked,

"They told you, didn't they?"

"Yes," Merida whispered, still upset at the fact that both of her parents were dying. "I wish there was something I could do for them!"

"You can do something for them. You can love them, you can love your brothers, and you can carry on their legacy after they are gone."

"I don't want them to die!" Merida moaned, as she wept.

"I know," Kylo offered, as he gently wiped her face. "If I could, I would take away your pain. I know it hurts Merida, but you're not alone."

Merida looked up at Kylo. She softly smiled and touched his cheek.

"Neither are you," she whispered. Their eyes locked. Merida was nervous.

"Don't be afraid, I feel it, too," Kylo assured her, before he leaned in and kissed her. It felt wonderful to have his lips on hers.

He pulled away, and Merida frowned. Kylo chuckled and explained,

"If I keep kissing you, your father will get upset."

Merida managed a smile. Kylo caressed her hair.

"Please don't hurt my family," she pleaded with him.

"I won't," he vowed. "The days of me hurting family members are over. Thanks to you."

"To me?"

"Yes. Because you freed me from being a bear forever, when you shot your arrow at me. You gave me a second chance at life, Merida. I cannot go back and undo all the bad I have done. But I can promise to look after you and your family."

"Kylo, you don't have to do this. You don't owe me anything."

"I want to. I want you, Merida. In every single way."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do," he uttered, before he kissed her again.

"I want you, too," she confessed. He winked at her and said,

"I know." She playfully slapped his arm. He pretended it hurt him.

"My fiery princess," Kylo whispered in her ear.

"My magic boy," Merida replied, enjoying the way he held her.

"Come. I think your parents want to talk to us about the wedding."

Kylo rose to his feet and offered his hand to Merida.

"I know you don't need my help getting up..." he began to say. He was pleasantly surprised when Merida put her hand into his. With a smile on his face, he helped her to her feet and led her out of the bedroom.

Kylo was right. Fergus and Elinor discussed with the couple on what they wanted for the wedding. Merida pulled her parents aside and asked for a special favor.

"Time for dinner!" Fergus shouted, after knocking on the triplet's bedroom. He saw Harris and Hubert come out.

"Where's Hamish?" he asked.

"He's not hungry," Harris replied.

"Yeah, right! You boys are always hungry! Hamish, come and have dinner!"

They waited a minute, but the boy did not come out.

"Let me go talk to him," Merida suggested.

"I will join you," Kylo insisted.

"That's not necessary."

"Merida, please. Let me help you."

She glanced over at her parents, who nodded their approval.

"Can you save us a plate of food?" she asked.

"Of course," Elinor promised. "Come, boys. " The sons followed their parents to the dining hall.

Merida and Kylo entered the bedroom. She was about to call out for Hamish, but Kylo pointed to the closet.

"He is in there," he told her. They approached the closet.

"Hamish?" Merida said.

"Go away!" the little boy cried.

"Hamish, please come out. We just want to talk."

"No! It's my fault! You're mad at me!"

"I'm not mad at you. Kylo is here with me. If I was upset, he would not be here."

"No! You're sad, and so is Mother and Father. And my brothers will be sad, too!"

Hamish broke down in tears. Kylo laid his hand against the closet door. He felt the boy's turmoil, and felt compassion for him.

"Hamish, it is not your fault," Kylo insisted gently. "There is nothing you could have done, although I see you have tried. Your family will not be mad at you. Please come out, so that we can talk to you."

Merida was relieved when the closet door opened. But it pained her to see the tear streaked face of her youngest brother.

"I'm sorry!" Hamish managed to say, as he looked up at Merida. She scooped him up in her arms and told him,

"It's okay. I've got you, wee one."

Merida carried Hamish to the bed. They sat down and Kylo joined them.

"Hamish, I am not upset that you voted for Kylo and I to get married," she told him. He shook his head in disagreement.

"Merida, that is not the reason why he is upset," Kylo interjected. She and Hamish stared at him. Kylo looked at Hamish and added,

"It's better that she hears it from you than from me."

Hamish trembled in fear. Would he still be loved, if he told the truth?

"Yes, you will still be loved," Kylo stated, knowing his thought. "Go ahead. Tell Merida the truth."

Hamish took a deep breath, looked up to his sister and said with sorrow in his voice,

"I know about Mother and Father."


	8. Chapter 8

Merida's mouth dropped open in shock. Hamish bowed his head in shame. She noticed and gently squeezed his hand.

"How do you know?" she asked. Taking a deep breath, he looked up to her and replied,

"I kept having nightmares about Death taking Mother and Father away. I didn't worry until I saw the different people that came to see them."

"Your parents had doctors visit them, without you knowing," Kylo clarified.

"After a while, they stopped coming. Mother was very sad. Father tried to tell her everything was going to be fine. But it's not!"

Hamish's lips quivered as he added,

"I tried to help them, but I'm not strong enough!"

"Hamish, there was nothing you could do," Merida assured him. The boy cried again.

"It's my fault! Everyone is going to hate me!"

"No, they won't. You are not to blame for this."

"Then why couldn't I heal them?"

"Hamish," Merida sighed, distraught over the pain her brother was in. "You don't have the power to heal a sick person."

"But I do!" Hamish closed his eyes. Kylo took the boy's hand into his, and stated,

"That one time, when you were just born, was a special circumstance. Healing is not your gift, Hamish. But that does not mean you don't have a great destiny ahead of you. You just need someone to teach you the way."

"Kylo, I have no idea what you are talking about," Merida uttered in confusion. He softly smiled at her and said,

"Your brother is Force Sensitive."

"Force Sensitive?"

"Yes. Or as you like to say, he has magic, just like me."

Merida gazed at Hamish, whose eyes were still closed. He was afraid of what his sister would think of him.

"She loves you," Kylo told him, knowing his thought. To Merida, he elaborated,

"He was able to heal himself at birth."

"The umbilical cord!" she realized. "It was wrapped around his neck. The doctor thought..." She paused and caressed Hamish's hair. "But the cord was loosened and he was able to breathe."

"The doctors told your parents they were having twins," Kylo correctly stated.

"We had so many emotions when we realized there was a third baby," Merida confessed. "But the greatest one was joy, when we knew he was going to be okay."

Hamish opened up his eyes and looked up at Merida. She sweetly smiled and assured him,

"I love you, Hamish. Do not blame yourself for Mother and Father being sick."

The boy threw himself into her arms and wept. She embraced him tightly, as she calmed him down.

"He was scared of me," Kylo admitted. "He thought I was Death, coming to claim his parents."

"Well, you are a wee bit intimidating, with your sword of light," Merida reminded him.

"I guess. But he's not afraid of me anymore. Isn't that right, Hamish?"

The boy turned to face Kylo and nodded his head. He extended his little hand. Kylo smiled and took it.

Merida marveled at the sight of them. She was relieved that Hamish was no longer upset. However, she was concerned about her future with Kylo.

"I'm hungry!" Hamish suddenly exclaimed. This caused both Merida and Kylo to laugh.

"Then let's go have dinner," Merida responded. She pushed her fear to the side as they stood up. Hamish grabbed her hand, turned to Kylo and stated,

"Tomorrow you get to hold my sister's hand." Kylo raised his eyebrow in amusement. Merida chuckled before the three of them left for the dining hall.

"Please don't tell them about me," Hamish begged, as they were just outside the dining hall.

"That is your secret, to either share or not share. We won't say anything," Merida promised. Hamish grinned. He let go of his sister's hand and ran to join his brothers.

"You can relax now," Kylo teased Merida. But she remained silent. He knew she was worried about what was to come. He extended his hand to her and softly pleaded,

"Join me."

There was tenderness in his brown eyes. Although she was still frightened, Merida knew what she had to do. She placed her hand into his. He smiled and gently kissed her forehead, before leading her to dinner with the family. Which, as of tomorrow, Kylo was going to be family.

After dinner, Merida helped Elinor put the boys to bed, while Fergus and Kylo spend some time with each other.

"I hope he's not grilling Kylo," Merida worried, as she and Elinor were alone in the princess' bedroom.

"I told your father to go easy on him," Elinor replied, as they sat down on the bed. "After all, Kylo did save our family."

"He did."

"Merida, it's okay. You don't need to be brave. Not with me."

"It's just... Everything is happening so quickly! And Kylo is... Mother, I want to be with him, but..."

"You're scared."

Merida nodded her head, desperately trying to fight back the tears.

"I'm sorry," Elinor apologized. "If the circumstances were different, you would have time to get to know him." She touched Merida's cheek.

"I know you are afraid, Merida. But he will not hurt you, or the boys. Remember, he is scared as well. His past makes him think he is not worthy of anyone's love. That is why Kylo did not ask you personally to marry him. He knew that you would say no, and he could not face another rejection from someone he cared about."

"How do you know this?" Merida marveled.

"I could tell, when your father and I spoke to him earlier. Kylo barely made eye contact with us. He may have magic, but I have a woman's intuition. He is also afraid, Merida. Maybe even more so. At least you have your family. Kylo does not have anyone.

"I didn't think he was capable of being scared."

"He may have a sword of light, but all men get scared. Even your father."

Merida smiled. She felt a little better of what was to come.

"Now it is time for us to talk..." Elinor began. Her daughter groaned, knowing the "wedding night" talk was about to happen. Elinor laughed and said,

"I promise I will make it brief. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

After the short talk, Merida did have a couple of questions, which Elinor patiently answered.

"Lay down," she told Merida. Once she was under the covers, her mother said,

"This will be the last time I will tuck you in. My baby girl is all grown up!"

"Mother," Merida sighed, seeing Elinor's sadness.

"Sorry. I should be happy, and I am. Tomorrow is your wedding day. But that doesn't mean I won't miss the little girl who prefers archery over sewing, the one who can handle her brothers better than anyone, my firstborn... who I love dearly, despite all our arguments."

"I love you too, Mother," Merida said, as she sat up and embraced Elinor. They hugged for the longest time.

After Elinor finished crying, she told Merida,

"It is time for you to go to sleep."

"Can you sing me to sleep, like when I was little?" Merida asked, as she laid down.

"Of course." Elinor sang to Merida a traditional Scottish love song. By the time she stopped singing, her daughter was asleep. Elinor leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. She whispered,

"Good night, Merida. Although you will be a married woman tomorrow, in my heart, you will always be my baby girl." She managed a smile before rising to her feet and leaving the room.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Merida' woke up and trembled. She was excited and nervous. Today was her wedding day. Trying to push her nerves aside, she rose from her bed and called for a servant to draw her a bath. The servant helped Merida wash her hair. She wanted softer curls for her special day.

Elinor came into the room and helped Merida into her wedding dress. It was a white sleeveless dress with a flowy bottom. The belt around her waist was her family's tartan. Her mother placed a wreath crown in Merida's hair. During the ceremony, the wreath crown would be removed by her father, and her crown as Queen would be placed on her head by Kylo.

"How do I look?" Merida asked, as she held a bouquet of flowers.

"Beautiful," Elinor replied with a smile.

"Was the flag painted, per my request?"

"Yes, Merida. I'm sure Kylo will like it. Come, it is time to go."

Merida took her mother's hand. Elinor led them out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"I told the boys to be on their best behavior today," Elinor said, as the women walked outside the castle.

"Good luck with that!" Merida thought to herself. But she did not want to say this out loud, so she simply nodded her head.

"I am glad we are having a private ceremony first," Merida admitted. "I am concerned about the other clans..."

"Don 't be," Elinor reassured her. "They will behave themselves. They are terrified of Kylo and his sword of light."

They reached the Highland, where the ceremony would take place. Fergus spotted them, and headed to greet them.

"Lassie, you are beautiful!" he softly gasped, his eyes getting misty.

"Don't, Father. I don't want to cry!' Merida teased him.

"I will give you two a moment," Elinor stated, before kissing her daughter on the cheek and walking away.

"How is he?" Merida asked Fergus.

"Good. A little nervous. He thinks you will change your mind and run away!" Fergus admitted.

"I won't. Even though I didn't want to at first, I know marrying Kylo is the right decision."

"He is a little rough around the edges. But he will be a good king. He just needs a good queen to kick his butt sometimes. Just like your mother does with me."

"Father!" Merida gasped. Fergus winked at her. She shook her head in amusement.

"Are you ready to get married?"

"As ready as I ever will be," Merida replied nervously. Fergus gently squeezed her head.

"My brave and beautiful daughter," he sweetly sighed. Fergus waved his free hand. Soldiers and flag bearers started marching down the aisle.

"Ooh, they changed the flag!" Harris exclaimed, as he pointed to the flag bearers. Clan Dunbroch had a sword in its flag. The sword had been beige in color, but per Merida's request, the sword was now red.

"Very nice!" Kylo complimented. Although he already knew the flag was going to be changed, he was not going to admit to it. He did not want to be in trouble with Merida on their wedding day. He smoothed out the kilt he was wearing, which was the clan's tartan. Fergus and Elinor graciously honored his request to wear a black shirt and socks, rather than white. The boys wore matching outfits.

"Here she comes!" Hubert shouted, as he spotted Fergus and Merida heading towards them.

"Wow!" was all Hamish could say. He never saw her look like the way she did. He hoped Kylo was happy.

"I am," Kylo responded out loud to Hamish's thought.

Fergus and Merida arrived at the altar. Kylo thought she looked stunning in her dress. He knew in his heart his mother would approve of the fiery princess he was about to marry.

The officiate smiled and began the ceremony. Kylo presented Merida with a silver luckenbooth. They held hands as a piece of tartan was knotted over them.

After they said their vows, it was time for Merida to be crowned. Fergus delicately took off the wreath crown off of Merida's head. Elinor gave Kylo the crown Merida would now wear as Queen. He smiled as he placed it on her head. She shivered, knowing what the crown represented. He gently caressed her hand, to reassure her she would be fine.

"By the power vested in me, I pronounce that Prince Kylo and Queen Merida are husband and wife. What the Force has joined together, let no man separate," the officiate joyfully proclaimed.

"My prince, you may kiss your bride," he said to Kylo. He leaned in and gave Merida a deep kiss. It lasted a minute before he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Merida asked in annoyance.

"Your brothers mooned everyone when we kissed," he explained. Merida saw her parents trying to chase the boys down.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized, as she laid her hand on Kylo's chest.

"It's fine. They wanted to make your day memorable." The newlywed couple shared a laugh before heading up the aisle.

After the boys were given a spanking, the family headed to the castle for a big feast. All the servants were there, and they would attend the public ceremony next week. Merida taught Kylo some traditional Scottish dances, while he practiced sparring with the guests.

"No!" he emphatically shouted, as Merida approach him with a sword in her possession. He called it out of her hand into his.

"I don't want your dress to be ruined," he explained.

"Hmph!" she grumbled. Kylo chuckled and replied,

"I will spar with you tomorrow if you teach me how to shoot a bow and arrow."

"It's a deal!"

"Look, Fergus. They are learning to compromise," Elinor told her husband.

"Yes. That is a miracle, considering how stubborn they both are!" Fergus responded back. She playfully swatted his hand. Today, they did not have to worry about their illnesses, or about their future. They focused on enjoying their eldest child's wedding day..

The feast lasted for hours. It was now dark outside. Kylo took Merida's hand and said,

"It's time for us to leave."

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"You will see." He winked at her. Fergus and Elinor approached the couple.

"Keep my daughter safe!" Fergus warned his new son-in-law.

"Fergus!" Elinor scolded him. "Kylo, do not pay any attention to him. Besides Fergus, as least they will be away when..."

"I don't want to hear this!" Fergus plugged his ears with his fingers and walked away. Merida could not help laughing.

"Good night, boys," Merida said to her brothers.

"Where are you going?" Hubert asked.

"That is for me and Merida to know," Kylo told them. His face turned red when Hamish interjected,

"They are going to make a baby."

"Where do babies come from?" Harris asked.

"Mother, it's time..." Merida stuttered, waving her mother over so that she would not have to answer that question.

"We will be back in the morning," Kylo promised, as Merida embraced her parents.

As soon as they got to the stables, Merida asked again where they were going. Kylo's response was the same. He helped her onto the horse, and mounted behind her. He stole a quick kiss from her before riding off into the night. It was time to give them what they both wanted, which was each other.


	10. Chapter 10

"Kylo," Merida softly gasped, realizing where they were heading to.

"You said you wanted privacy," he lightly replied her. They rode until they reached the cave. He helped Merida off of the horse. As soon as the animal was tied to a tree, Kylo held his wife's hand and led her inside the cave.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. Many small candles were on the floor. A bag with their sleepwear and change of clothes was in the corner. She spied some bearskins on the floor. She shivered, knowing that it would be here that they would consummate their marriage.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Kylo's lips on hers. Merida enjoyed his kisses and caresses.

"I want to change into my nightgown," Merida uttered after a particularly passionate kiss.

"I can help you out of your dress," Kylo mischievously offered.

"If you do, I will never get the nightgown on."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Kylo!"

"Ok, my queen. I will step outside while you change."

"Thank you."

Merida smiled because she won the argument. Kylo stepped outside, so that his wife could undress in privacy. He was doing his best to be patient and not take her immediately.

A minute went by before she grunted,

"The zipper's stuck!"

"Stay still," Kylo told her. Closing his eyes, he used the Force to unzip the dress. Merida was able to take off the dress and slip into her nightgown.

"Thank you," Merida said, as she smoothed the garment out. Kylo walked back inside.

"You're welcome..." he managed to spit out, before his mouth dropped open. Merida was wearing the same silky nightgown from his dream!

"You don't like it," Merida whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"I like it a lot!" Kylo reassured her. She blushed as he came and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"My blushing bride," he gently teased before giving her a soft kiss. "Can you help me get undressed?"

"You don't want privacy?" Merida asked.

"I promised to give you what you wanted if you came back to sew my clothes."

"I wanted my bow and arrows back."

"That is not what you wanted, Merida."

"Ooh, you and your magic!"

She crossed her arms in front of her. Her eyes widened as Kylo began to caress her bare arms.

"I wanted you from the moment I laid my eyes on you," Kylo confessed.

"You did?" Merida questioned.

"Yes."

Kylo was pleasantly surprised when Merida tugged at his shirt. They pulled it off together. She licked her lips, seeing his chest.

"Go ahead. You can touch me," he encouraged his wife. Merida began to caress his chest. The caresses were soon replaced by her kisses.

"Merida," Kylo groaned, as she undid his kilt. He stepped out of it. Her heart raced, seeing her husband completely naked. He pulled her close, ravishing her with his lips.

"May I lay you down?" he whispered.

"No," she told him. He gave her a pained look. She winked at him and coyly added,

"You did not take off my nightgown."

Kylo had the biggest smile on his face, as he gently slipped the nightgown off of Merida. He gazed at her nude body.

"So beautiful," he moaned, as she laid down. He crawled on top of her and stated,

"And so mine."

They began to kiss, their hands exploring each other's bodies. Kylo used the Force to find Merida's pleasure points. His hands and lips gently exploited them. But he sensed her fear.

"Merida, you don't need to be afraid of me," Kylo vowed, cupping her face with his hand. "I will not scare you anymore."

"Good," Merida replied, feeling a desire she never had before, rising up in her body. "Because I will kill you if you do."

"I have been warned."

They stared at each other for a moment. Merida nodded her head, indicating she was ready. Kylo gave her a soft kiss before entering his wife.

"I'm sorry it hurts," he whispered, feeling her discomfort since she was a virgin. To distract her, he planted kisses on her shoulders, neck and breasts. He saw Merida relax once he was fully inside of her. Kylo began to thrust. As the thrusts came quicker, the more desire Merida felt.

"Don't be afraid, I feel it too," Kylo said, doing his best to wait until Merida was ready to come.

"Kylo!" Merida screamed in pleasure. She surrendered in ecstasy as he spilled his seed inside of her.

"Merida," he moaned in response. This was even better than the dream he had of being with her!

He softened and slipped of out her. Kylo wanted Merida again, but knew she was tired and sore.

"Come," he insisted. Merida snuggled close, and he pulled a bearskin over them.

"This is nice and cozy," Merida stated, as she gazed at her husband. "But I thought you would want to..."

"I do. But you are tired. Besides, we have the rest of our lives to be intimate with each other. " She nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you, Kylo. For everything. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Merida, you saved my life. I am just returning the favor." He stroked her curls and she softly smiled.

"My magic boy."

"My fiery queen."

Kylo gave her a tender kiss and said to her,

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

Merida felt warm and safe. A moment later, she was asleep in Kylo's arms. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before closing his eyes.

Morning came. Kylo woke up first. He slept well, better than he had in years. He sighed, wishing that his mother was here to see him get married. He had many regrets about the things he did, but Kylo knew he would never regret marrying the woman snuggled in his arms.

"I hope I can be the man she needs me to be," he nervously thought. But his fear was momentarily pushed to the back of his mind when he felt his wife's lips on his shoulder.

"Good morning, my fiery queen," Kylo said to his bride.

"Good morning," Merida replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. I know you did, since you were snoring."

"I do not snore!"

"Yes, you do. But it's fine with me."

"Well, you talk in your sleep!"

"Merida..."

"It's true! I heard you!"

"Ok. What was I talking about in my sleep?"

"You were teaching Hamish the way to the Force."

Kylo raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"I guess I am right," she stated with a smirk on her face.

"Did you hear me say anything else?" he asked. He had another dream, where Merida was pregnant, but he did not want to tell her about it.

"I don't know. I was too busy snoring," she shrugged her shoulders and winked at him. Kylo laughed and pulled her close.

"Do we have to go back?" Merida pouted. "It is nice being here, just the two of us."

"As great as that sounds, we do need to get back home," Kylo reminded her. "But I promise we will spend a lot of time alone with each other.

They kissed before they rose and got dressed. Kylo grinned when Merida dressed in front of him. She was slowly letting her guard down.

"Your turn," Merida chimed in, noticing that her husband was staring at her.

"Yes, of course."

"What do we do with the candles and the bearskins?" Merida asked, as Kylo took her hand and led her out of the cave.

"The servants will come for them," Kylo told her. "But now, we need to head back home to your family."

"You mean to our family."

"Yes," Kylo nodded in realization. "We need to head back home to our family."

They shared one last kiss before mounting the horse and riding back to the castle.


	11. Chapter 11

The triplets ran to the couple the moment they stepped foot into the castle.

"Merida, Kylo, we missed you!" the boys exclaimed in unison.

"Boys, we were only gone a night!" Merida said lightly. She noticed their facial expressions and asked what was wrong.

"Mother and Father told us..." Harris started to say. He couldn't get the words out. Hubert placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I see."

"They said you and Kylo would raise us, and that you would love us as much as they do," Hubert somberly added.

"We do, and we will," Kylo promised.

"Come here," Merida told them. They came to her and embraced her. She comforted them as they sobbed.

It took a few minutes for the boys to calm down. Merida sweetly kissed each of their foreheads.

"I love you, wee ones," she reminded them. "Now go wash your faces and go to breakfast."

Harris and Hubert hugged Merida and Kylo before running off to the dining hall. But Hamish stayed.

"Go on, Hamish. You don't want Harris and Hubert to eat all of the food," Merida teased her youngest brother. He smiled at her, before saying to Kylo's mind,

"I was right! You and Merida made babies!"

Kylo swallowed his throat when he heard this.

"Two girls. One that looks like you and one that looks like Merida," Hamish added, before saying out loud,

"Ok!" He ran off to join his brothers.

"Kylo, are you all right?" Merida asked. "Your face is pale."

He gazed at his wife. Although he had the dream about her being pregnant, the thought of being a father terrified him.

"Yes," he lied. "Come, let's go have breakfast."

It was Merida's turn to take her hand into his.

"He is worried," she thought to herself. "About what, I do not know. I guess we are very similar, after all!"

ONE YEAR LATER

The family gathered at the gravesite. Fergus and Elinor died on the same day, embracing each other one last time. It was hard to say goodbye to her parents, but Kylo was there to help Merida and the boys grieve.

She managed a small smile as Harris, Hubert and Hamish placed flowers on the graves. Hamish was brave enough to let the rest of the family know that he had "magic" just like Kylo. He was overjoyed to know that they loved and accepted him as before.

"I'm glad they got to see the girls before they died," Merida confessed to her husband. He held the elder twin, named Alana, while his wife held the younger twin, named Rhona.

"I'm glad, too," he admitted. He was a lucky man, to have married such a beautiful, brave and fiery woman. As she let her physical guard down with him, Kylo let down his emotional guard with her. It was scary at first. He was afraid Merida would leave him if he told her the truth about his past. Thankfully, she stayed and comforted him when he was in pain.

"Merida," Kylo began nervously. "There is something I need to tell you."

He took a deep breath and confessed,

"I love you."

"I know," she softly replied. He bowed his head. Was it too soon to say the words? Was it the wrong time to admit how he felt?

"I love you, too," Merida cooed. Kylo lifted his head and grinned in delight. They drew close to each other and shared a kiss.

"Yuck!" all three boys exclaimed at the same time.

"Boys, it's just a kiss," Merida told them.

"No, the babies pooped!" Hubert stated, pinching his nose. His brothers did the same.

Merida and Kylo looked at each other and laughed. It reminded them of how the boys mooned everyone at their wedding.

"Let's go change them, my fiery queen," Kylo stated warmly.

"Lead the way, my magic king," Merida responded. The family of seven headed into the castle, bounded by the Force, and bounded by the love they had for each other.


End file.
